The curtain is likely to be drawn on several decades-old ministries and agencies, while others are expected to be streamlined when State Council secretary general Ma Kai submits proposals to restructure cabinet bodies to the annual meeting of the National People's Congress today.

Fast-food chain KFC's parent Yum Brands apologised to customers over its handling of a recent food scare that has hit sales in its biggest market. "We regret shortcomings in our self-checking process, a lack of internal communication," Su Jingshi , chairman and chief executive of Yum China, wrote on the company's website. CCTV reported late last month that chicken supplied to KFC and McDonald's contained excess amounts of antiviral drugs and hormones.

Guangdong party secretary Wang Yang, State Councillor Liu Yandong and State Council secretary general Ma Kai are front runners to fill the vice-premiership vacancies to be left by Zhang Dejiang, Hui Liangyu and Wang Qishan in March.

Inflationary pressure from food price rises was growing but the government was confident the increase in the consumer price index this year would be close to its 4.8 per cent target, the chief economic planner said yesterday.

There is still a lingering question about whether Ma Kai has fallen short of expectations in his last four years as minister in charge of the National Reform and Development Commission, but it does not seem to have held the technocrat back.

Beijing needs to strengthen its education, medical, pension and other social welfare systems to encourage people to spend instead of focusing on saving for the future, the nation's top economic planner said yesterday.

Top planner says construction must be cut back and overcapacity checked

Beijing must act to check fixed-asset investment growth because the economy is faced with a potential rebound in investments and lingering concerns about overcapacity in some sectors, the nation's top economic planner has warned.